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Laser brain therapy offers hope to epilepsy sufferers in England
Hundreds of people with hard-to-treat epilepsy will be offered laser therapy targeting the brain on the NHS in England from next year, the BBC reported.
Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain, causing repeated seizures.
A tiny laser inside a probe in the skull enables doctors to destroy brain tissue causing seizures.
A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of intense electrical activity in the brain, which disrupts the way the brain normally works.
There are many different types of epilepsy and it can start at any age.
Some types last for a limited amount of time while for others, epilepsy can be a life-long condition.
NHS England says that the treatment is more precise and less risky than normal brain surgery and patients recover more quickly.
Charity Epilepsy Action said the new therapy was "an exciting ray of hope".
Around 600,000 people in the UK have epilepsy. Most control their seizures with medication, but one in three can't - and around 1,000 are suitable for conventional brain surgery every year.
And many are put off by the potential risks and the lengthy recovery period.
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In contrast, the wound from laser treatment is so small that patients are able to go home within a day or two, and return to work within a week.
NHS England said around 150 patients would benefit from laser therapy in 2023 with numbers set to rise in future years.
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The procedure is carried out in an MRI scanner, allowing doctors to navigate around blood vessels and other important brain structures to find the precise bit of tissue they want to get rid of.
A very precise laser beam, at the tip of the probe, then eliminates the brain tissue using heat and light.
